Cadence grabs my cheeks and points up at the sky ablaze with lanterns. “So pwetty, Dada!”
She’s getting wiggly in my arms. “Dada, down,” Cadence says, so I stand her up on the stiff sand below our feet. We’re far enough from the water that I feel comfortable letting her down.
I turn to Kenna and place my arms around her waist.
“What do you think, Sunshine?”
“I think this is the most amazing sight I’ve ever seen, Griff. Thank you for taking us. Seeing the sky lit up like this is magical. I love that we got to do this for Katie.”
I place my hands under her jaw and bring her in for a chaste kiss. When I pull back, Kenna places her hands on top of mine and says, “Yes.”
“Yes?” I question.
“Yes, we’ll move in with you, Griff. Full time.”
“Are you for real right now, McKenna?”
“I’m for real, and just in case you thought you were dreaming, I’ll gladly pinch you,” she chuckles and lightly pinches my hand.
I scoop Cadence up in my arms and bring Kenna in for another kiss, this time dragging it out and crossing into semi-inappropriate territory with our daughter in my arms. I pull back and rest my forehead against Kenna’s.
“Forever?” I ask.
“And it still won’t be long enough, G,” she replies before grabbing Cadence from my arms.
This moment just feels too perfect to pass up the opportunity.
Taking her left hand in mine, I rub small circles over her ring finger. “Kenna, you are my Sunshine on my darkest days, lighting the path back to you, to our family. With you as my teammate, I know we can get through anything. I want to know all your truths as we grow older together. Forever and always.”
Dropping down to one knee, I open the black velvet box I pulled from my pocket and hold it up to her.
“McKenna Marie, will you make me the luckiest man in this lifetime and marry me?”
I’m not expecting it as she lets go of my hand to drop down to her knees, with Cadence still in her arms, and wraps her free arm around me.
She nods her head into my neck, and relief spreads through me.
“Is that a yes, Sunshine?”
Still nodding her head, she pulls back, her aqua eyes staring into mine. “Yes, Griffin. A thousand times, yes!”
Not able to contain my happiness, I pull her in for a deep kiss, quickly getting caught up in the passion of this moment.
She breaks the kiss and rests her forehead against mine.
“Is this real life?” she asks.
“As real as it gets, my love.” I take the ring out of the box and slide it onto her finger.
Kenna gasps as she takes in the ornate ring I had custom-made for her. The center is a two-carat oval diamond that is surrounded by a halo of sunburst diamonds, making it look like a sun. Fuck, she looks so good finally wearing my ring on her left hand. She looks likemine.
Kenna nuzzles Cadence against her cheek, unshed tears still glistening in her eyes. My entire world begins and ends with the two of them.
Our love can never go back to what it was—we’ve grown, changed, hardened, and re-formed into who we both are now. Our love has evolved through our heartache and loss. Now that we’ve found our way back to each other, I never want to go back to what it was—I love what it is now so much more. I know I’ll love Kenna for the rest of my life. But I’m certain I won’t love her the way I love her today, tomorrow, or years from now. I’ll love her more and more with each breath I take for the rest of my life.
THE END
McKenna - June
